&male; Gay

What does Gay mean?

Gay as a boys' name (also used as girls' name Gay) is of Old French origin, and the meaning of Gay is "blithe, cheerful". A surname in the Middle Ages. Taken from the vocabulary word, this was popular as a given name in the 1930s but became obsolete after the meaning of the word changed in the 1960s. It was generally used as a girl's name, but in Ireland it has been used as a pet form of Gabriel. Also form of Gaylord. Also form of Gaynor.

Variations

How popular is Gay?

Gay is an uncommon given name for males but a very popular surname for all people (#974 out of 150436, Top 1%). (2000 U.S. CENSUS)

Gay reached its peak position of #989 in the U.S. in the 1890s, but is not ranked at the moment. (TOP BABY NAMES, 2016)

Which version is better?

Prominent related forms of Gay are Gabe, Gabriel(#25 THE PREVIOUS YEAR) and Gaylord. Other variants, like Gaby, are seldom used. Usage of these relations of Gay was more pronounced a decade ago (AVERAGE #1434) and is almost as widespread today (#1506, ▼20.3%), but with the version Gaylord becoming less fashionable. Gabriel is the longstanding favorite.